Remoistening apparatus

ABSTRACT

Remoistening apparatus for use in conjunction with paper folding comprises moisture applying members for wetting dry adhesive areas of a sheet prior to the sheet being fed to a machine in which the sheets are folded to provide envelopes or sheets with tear off envelopes attached thereto. The moisture applying members are cyclically operable to receive moisture from a supply and then to transfer the moisture to the dry adhesive areas of the sheet in synchronism with the sheets as they move through the apparatus so as to insure registry of the members with the adhesive areas. The members are on endless belts to facilitate their accurate positioning as well as replacement with different sizes of members for different sizes of dry adhesive areas to be moistened.

United States Patent 1191 Schultz REMOISTENING APPARATUS 3,244,139 4/1966 Brown et al. 118/221 [76] Inventor: Herman J. Schultz 1240 w Morse 2,300,078 10/1942 Von 118/2 Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60626 Jan. 11, 1971 [2]] Appl. No.: 105,488

Primary ExaminerMervin Stein Assistant Examiner-Leo Millstein [22] Filed:

Attorney-Olson, Trexler, Wolters, & Bushnell [57 ABSTRACT Remoistening apparatus for use in conjunction with paper folding comprises moisture applying members for wetting dry adhesive areas of a sheet prior to the sheet being fed to a machine in which the sheets are folded to provide envelopes or sheets with tear off envelopes attached thereto. The moisture applying members are cyclically operable to receive moisture from a supply and then to transfer the moisture to the dry adhesive areas of the sheet in synchronism with the sheets as they move through the apparatus so as to insure registry of the members with the adhesive areas. The members are on endless belts to facilitate their accurate p0- sitioning as well as replacement with different sizes of members for different sizes of dry adhesive areas to be moistened.

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to remoistening apparatus for use with a paper folding machine that contain an envelope or a group of envelopes.

In the manufacture of mail advertising pieces that include tear off envelopes, it is customary .to preprint sheets of material with advertising matter and then pass the sheets through an envelope forming machine. In the envelope forming machines, wet adhesive is applied to the printed stock in predetermined areas. While the adhesive is wet the sheets are folded andsealed to form the envelope or envelopes. In instances where the envelopes are also intended to be sealed by the recipient of the advertising, a band of adhesive is applied to the envelope flap and allowed to dry. Because of the fact that the envelope machines apply adhesive and also fold the sheet, the possibility of jamming or malfunctioning is increased over that of the simple folding machine. Such malfunctioning results in a loss of comparatively expensive printed stock materials.

OBIECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus in which the adhesive is applied to the preprinted stock and allowed to dry, and thereafter the stock is passed through an apparatus in which the adhesive necessary to form the envelope portion or portions of the sheet are remoistened, after which the sheets are folded in a standard folding machine. Because the standard folding machine has no adhesive-applying structure, it is more reliable in operation than an envelope machine, whereby a smaller loss of printed stock is encountered.

A further object of this invention is to provide a remoistening apparatus for dried adhesive-containing areas of the sheet that can be readily embodied into a conventional folding machine between the usual input feed roll of the foldingmachine and the folding mechanism proper.

The invention further comprises a remoistening apparatus that includes a moisture supply member, moisture transfer means including moisture abosrbent members operable in a first position to receive moisture from the supply member and operable in a second position to transfer the moisture to selected areas on the sheet containing dry adhesive. The moisture transfer means has a drive for moving the absorbent members between the two positions, and there is a control arrangement for operating the. drive in synchronism with the sheets passing through the apparatus to insure that the moisture absorbent members accurately register with adhesive areas to be moistened. As the sheets pass through the apparatus, each adhesive area is contacted by a moisture absorbent member that is approximately congruent therewith. The moisture absorbent members are preferably mounted on endless belts which permit removal and replacement of different sizes of moisture absorbent members for different sizes of adhesive areas, which may vary in accordance with the sheets being run.

In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the sheets are fed into the remoistener by an untimed vacuum feed roll, and the remoistener is actuated in proper timed relationship to the movement of the sheet by a photocell detector arrangement that particular senses the presence of the sheet. Consequently, the remoistener undergoes a cycle of operation only when the presence of a sheet is detected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a remoistening apparatus constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the remoistening apparatus;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of FIG. 2 and showing the apparatus at the initiation of a cycle of operation;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 5 and showing the apparatus in a condition in which moisture is being transferred to a dry adhesive area of a sheet passing through the apparatus;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 6 but showing an arrangement in which the adhesive area is longer than that of FIGS. 5 and 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a sheet of the type that may be remoistened and folded in accordance with the method and apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the sheet of FIG. 8 after remoistening and folding into envelopes;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another type of sheet that may be remoistened and folded in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the sheet of FIG. 10 after remoistening and folding to provide detachable envelopes thereon;

FIG. 12 illustrates the envelope of FIG. 11 but detached from the remainder of the sheet thereof; and

FIG. 13 shows one of the envelopes of FIG. 12 with the flap sealed as would be done by a user or recipient of the advertising sheet of FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, 2 designates a remoistening apparatus that is embodied into a folding machine. More specifically, the folding machine comprises a folding section 4 of known type that includes a power driven vacuum type pick-up and feed roll 6 adapted to feed sheets 8 from a stack 10, one by one, through the remoistening apparatus 2 and from which the sheets are then fed to the folding section 4. The stack of sheets 10 is supported in a conventional manner on a series of rollers 12. As each sheet 8 is fed into the apparatus 2 it is carried through the apparatus 2 by a series of parallel endless belts 14 which are trained around respective pairs of rollers l6, 18. The upper runs of the belts 14 are supported on a feed table 19 that is formed by spaced, parallel downwardly opening channels 20. The drive for the belts 14 may be provided for in a known manner as by a drive to the shaft 22 (FIG. 2) upon which the rollers 18 are mounted.

The apparatus 2 comprises side plates 24, 26 for suitably journalling a main or driven shaft 28 having a series of spaced apart pulleys 30 rigidly mounted thereon and positioned in the spaces between the channels 20.

Upwardly of and parallel to the shaft 28 is a shaft 32 that is journalled in auxiliary plates 34, 34 that are rigidly secured to the inside faces of the side plates 24, 26. Rigidly mounted on the shaft 32 are pulleys 36 which are in alignment with pulleys 30 respectively. Endless belts 38 are trained around the respective pairs of pulleys 30, 36. As best shown in FIGS. -7, the belts 38 are provided with ribs 40 that are received in peripheral notches 42 of the pulleys 30. The peripheries of the pulleys 36 are similarly notched whereby the belts 38 are prevented from slipping relative to the pulleys 30, 36. On the exterior of one or more of the belts 38 are moisture-absorbent transfer pads 44 of a suitable sponge material. In the present illustration there are two equally spaced pads on two belts. The pads 44 may be secured to the belts 38 by pressure sensitive adhesive that is applied to the backs of the pads 44 so that pads of different lengths may be secured at desired positions on the belts 38, all for purposes presently more fully appearing.

Mounted on and extending transversely between the plates 34, 34 is a reservoir or trough 46, the bottom of which is substantially above the feed table 19. An inverted container 48 supplies water or other adhesiveactivating fluid to the trough 46. Preferably the container 48 extends upwardly from an offset section 50 of the trough 46 so as not to interfere with other components of the apparatus. Joumalled in the side plates 24, 26 and disposed within the trough 46 is an elongated moistening roller 52 that is partially in the fluid and serves to pick up fluid and transfer the fluid to the pads 44 as the latter come in contact with the surface of the roller 52. Also journalled in the side plates 24, 26 and running parallel to the moistening roller 52 is a metering roller 54 which serves to spread the fluid on the roller 52 into a peripheral layer or coating of predetermined thickness so that just the right amount of fluid is supplied to the pads 44 by the roller 52.

A drive for the rollers 52, 54 and shafts 28, 32 is provided which is independent of (i.e., not synchronized with) the drive for the folding section 4 and the vacuum feed roll 6. For this purpose the side plate 24 may have a shaft 56 (FIG. 2) journalled thereon and projecting laterally outwardly therefrom and upon which sprockets 58, 60 are mounted. The sprocket 58 receives power through a drive chain 62 which is driven from a motor or other source of power. A chain 64 is trained around the sprocket 60 for delivering power to a transmission unit 66. Within the unit 66 is a shaft 68 carrying a sprocket 70 around which the chain 64 is trained. The shaft 68 also supports a gear 72 which meshes with a gear 74 that drives the driving member 76 of a conventional electromagnetic clutch. The driven member 78 of the clutch is mounted on the shaft 28 so that when the clutch is engaged the shaft 28 will be driven, thereby driving the belts 38. The gear 74 also meshes with a gear 80 that is rigidly mounted on a countershaft 82, and an additional gear 84 is mounted on the countershaft 82 for meshing with an idler gear 85 on an idler shaft 88 (FIG. 2). The idler gear 86 in turn meshes with a gear 90 on the reduced diameter or shaft portion of the moisture transfer roller 52. Thus, by the present arrangement the rollers 52, 54 are continuously driven whereas the belts 38 are driven only when the electromagnetic clutch is engaged.

Two photocells 92, 94 are provided for actuating conventional circuitry to engage and disengage the electromagnetic clutch, and thereby operate the drive to the shaft 28 in synchronism with the moving sheets 8. The photocells 92, 94 are individually adjustably clamped or otherwise mounted on a support bar 96 in spaced relationship relative to the path of movement of sheets 8 passing through the apparatus. Light sources 91, 93 for the photocells 92, 94 are mounted below the belts 14 in a suitable manner to be adjusted with the photocells. One end of the bar 96 has a bracket 98 by which the support bar 96 is secured adjustably to a transverse bar 100 that runs between the side plates 24, 26. As a result, the photocells 92, 94 and their light sources may be mounted in desired positions intermediate the side plates 24, 26 and also at selected distances from the shaft 28.

While the photocells 92, 94 actuate conventional circuitry, as aforesaid, suffice it to say that light beams from the light sources 91, 93 below are directed upwardly to the photocells 92, 94 for interruption by the sheets 8. When the leading edge 95 (FIG. 5) of the sheet interrupts the light beam to the photocell 92 the electromagnetic clutch is caused to engage, thereby rotating the shaft 28. When the light beam to the photocell 94 is interrupted by the leading edge of the sheet 8 the electromagnetic clutch is caused to disengage.

The shaft 28 projects outwardly beyond the side 26 and has an indexing cam 102 with one or more notches, in this instance two notches 104, 104 diametrally opposed. An index lever 106 is pivoted by a pin 108 to the side plate 26 and has a finger 1 10 for engagement wwth one of the notches 104, 104. At the end opposite to the finger 110 the lever 106 is connected to one end of a tension spring 112, the other end of which is fixed to a pin or like member projecting from the side 26. The spring 112 thus biases the finger 110 into engagement with the indexing cam 102. Therefore, when the leading edge 95 of a sheet 8 is detected by the photocell 92 causing the electromagnetic clutch to engage and rotate the shaft 28, the finger 110 will ride out of the notch 104 in which it is then positioned. The leading edge of the sheet will be detected by the photocell 94 before the shaft 28 completes a half revolution. Thus, the electromagnetic clutch 76 is disengaged before the next-to-be-received notch 104 has come into alignment with the finger 110. However, the momentum of the shaft 28 causes the shaft to continue to rotate following disengagement of the magnetic clutch until the notch 104 comes into alignment with the finger 110 at which time the shaft 28 is stopped. In this regard it should be noted that the indexing cam 102 may have only one notch 104 or such other number of notches as may be necessary to assure a predetennined amount of rotation of the shaft 28 and a consequent predetennined travel of each belt 38 for each cycle of operation.

FIG. 8 shows a sheet 8 that has been printed and die cut and to which adhesive areas 1 14 have been applied and which have been allowed to dry. The adhesive areas 114, 114 may be applied to flap members 115 of the sheet. As a sheet is fed onto the moving belts 14 by the vacuum feed roller 6 the sheet passes under the then stationary belt 38 until the leading edge of the sheet interrupts the light beam to the photocell 92 causing the electromagnetic clutch to engage and move the belt 38. The pads 44 on the belts 38 will then come into facewise contact with the adhesive areas 114 to moisten them. Just underlying the belts are idler rollers 122 which are mounted on a shaft 124 and are located between the channels 20. These rollers 122 co-operate with the belts 38 to provide a backing or support for the sheet 8 at the regions where the sheet is contacted by the pads 44. When the leading edge of the sheet 8 interrupts the light beam to the photocell 94, the belts 38 will subsequently stop when the finger 110 on the index lever 106 engages the next notch 104 on the index cam 102.

The sheet 8 then proceeds to the folding section 4 where the sheet is folded first along a line 118 to bring the leading edge of the sheet into superposed relationship with the margins 120 of the flaps 115. Then the flaps 115 are folded along the margin 120 to form the structure of FIG. 9 which consists of two sealed envelopes separated by a scoreline 1 16. The article shown in FIG. 9 may be used as part of a mailing piece in which one of the two envelopes is intended to be torn from the other along the scoreline 116 and then opened. In fabricating the article of FIGS. 8 and 9 only two of the belts 38 need be used and each of these belts may have two equally spaced pads 44 whereby for each cycle a pad will moisten an adhesive area and the other pad will come into position preparatory to moistening an adhesive area on the next sheet fed through the machine. If the article of FIG. 9 is intended to have more than two envelopes the sheet 8 will be formed with more than two sections and with a scoreline between each section. Also additional pads will be applied to additional belts.

The number of pads, the number of notches in the indexing cam 102, and the position of each photocell92, 94 are all sized, adjusted and positioned, as the case may be, in accordance with the locations of the dry adhesive areas, the number and lengths thereof, and the size and shape of the sheets in a particular run. The outer or moisture transfer surface of the pad is substantially congruent with the adhesive area that the pad is intended to moisten. Moreover, each pad 44 engages the adhesive area that it moistens in approximately congruent relationship. As shown in FIG. 5, the belt 38 and pad 44 have just begun to move since the leading edge 95 of the sheet 8 has interrupted the light beam to the photocell 92. In FIG. 6 the leading edge has not reached the light beam to the photocell 94 and the pad 44 is shown in contact with the adhesive area 14. FIG. 7 is like FIG. 6 except that it shows a longer pad 44a for wetting a longer area of adhesive 114a on a different sheet 8a.

FIG. 10 shows a fragmentary portion of a sheet 8b representing another form of advertising piece produced in accordance with the present invention. The sheet 8b has a number of parallel dry adhesive areas 126, 128, 130, 132 that are remoistened by the apparatus 2 in the manner previously described. However, for the sheet 8b there will be moisture transfer pads on four of the belts since there are four adhesive areas to be moistened. The sheet 8b .is printed and die cut as desired and is further provided with envelope portions 142, 144 that are separated by a scoreline 146. The envelope portions 142, 144 contain flaps 148, 150 that are joined to the remainder of the sheet by border score-lines 152, 153. When the sheets 8a are successively passed through the apparatus 2 the adhesive areas 134, 136 are left dry. However, the sheets 8a with the remoistened areas 126, 128, 130, 132 are sent to the folding section 4 and are folded along a transverse fold line 156 to form envelopes 158, 160 as shown in FIG. 11.

The recipient receives the mailing piece in the form shown in FIG. 11. The envelopes 158, 160 may be separated by tearing along the scorelines 152, 153, 146. The adhesive 134, 136 on the respective envelope flaps may then be moistened to seal the envelope which may be used to enclose other matter separable from or which forms a part of the mailing piece. The face of each envelope includes an address as shown in FIG. 13.

It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise method and apparatus herein shown and described since the invention contemplates all forms coming within the scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. Remoistening apparatus for use in conjunction with a paper folding machine, said apparatus comprising: moisture supply means; moisture transfer means including an endless belt and an absorbent transfer member of lesser length than said belt and mounted on said belt to be cyclically operable between a first position in moisture-receptive relationship with said moisture supply means and a second position in moisturedelivery relationship with a selected region of a paper blank; drive means for cycling said transfer member between said first and second positions; conveyor means for conveying paper blanks in sequential operative association with said moisture transfer member; and control means for operating said drive means in synchronism with moving paper sheets on said conveyor means and including sensor means along the length of said conveyor means to sense the leading edge of a paper blank thereon for initiating operation of said drive means to move the transfer member into moisturedelivery relationship with a selected region of the paper blank, and to sense the leading edge of the moistened paper blank at an advanced position thereof on the conveyor means to initiate stopping of the drive means for the transfer member.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said drive means further includes a driven shaft, power transmitting means, and selectively actuatable clutch means for connecting said driven shaft and said powertransmitting means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said apparatus further includes indexing means for stopping said driven shaft upon disconnecting said driven shaft from said power-transmitting means.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said moisture supply means includes reservoir means, a supply roller disposed adjacent said first position, and wherein said first position is spaced generally above said second position whereby to create an accessible free space.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said moisture supply means further includes a metering roller aligned parallel with said supply roller and spaced therefrom to regulate the rate of moisture transmitted to said transfer means.

=t= a a: a 

1. Remoistening apparatus for use in conjunction with a paper folding machine, said apparatus comprising: moisture supply means; moisture transfer means including an endless belt and an absorbent transfer member of lesser length than said belt and mounted on said belt to be cyclically operable between a first position in moisture-receptive relationship with said moisture supply means and a second position in moisture-delivery relationship with a selected region of a paper blank; drive means for cycLing said transfer member between said first and second positions; conveyor means for conveying paper blanks in sequential operative association with said moisture transfer member; and control means for operating said drive means in synchronism with moving paper sheets on said conveyor means and including sensor means along the length of said conveyor means to sense the leading edge of a paper blank thereon for initiating operation of said drive means to move the transfer member into moisture-delivery relationship with a selected region of the paper blank, and to sense the leading edge of the moistened paper blank at an advanced position thereof on the conveyor means to initiate stopping of the drive means for the transfer member.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said drive means further includes a driven shaft, power transmitting means, and selectively actuatable clutch means for connecting said driven shaft and said power-transmitting means.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said apparatus further includes indexing means for stopping said driven shaft upon disconnecting said driven shaft from said power-transmitting means.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said moisture supply means includes reservoir means, a supply roller disposed adjacent said first position, and wherein said first position is spaced generally above said second position whereby to create an accessible free space.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said moisture supply means further includes a metering roller aligned parallel with said supply roller and spaced therefrom to regulate the rate of moisture transmitted to said transfer means. 